Old-school cars are seriously cool. Why is that? It's possibly due to the groundbreaking modernisation that characterised car developments in the 20th century. Ford in particular played a lead role in this constant advancement. Rewind to Brussels on this day in 1969 and you might find yourself at the city's annual motor show, looking at its leading revelation: the Ford Capri Mk1. Dubbed the European equivalent to the Mustang, today marks its 50th anniversary, so we compiled everything you need to know about this iconic classic car.

'The car you always promised yourself'

They claimed it was “the car you always promised yourself”. They being Ford, the brain behind this new model tailored for sporting style, but affordable and practical too. Its 1969 revelation looked a little something like this: four seats, a two-door GT, D-shaped windows and a long nose – all adding up to a coupé that married American-inspired design with European practicality.

“A genuine fastback. That doesn’t cost a fortune. Handles like a sports car. You sit low. Relaxed. Pretty much the way a Grand Prix driver sits,” said the lines on its first adverts. Appealing, much? Stylish and inexpensive, a motor icon had been born.

An instant hit

It was instantly successful, likely because Ford offered the model with a choice of five engines: 1300, 1300GT, 1600, 1600GT and 2000GT. It could be as powerful as a buyer wanted it to be. There was as much scope for families to casually drive down to the seaside in this car as there was for a nonchalant gent to cruise along the motorway. A year after sales began, a quarter of a million models had been built. Another six months later, more than one million had been sold.

The initial idea for the car was thought up between Ford’s English and German divisions. Production began a little before the ‘69 Brussels motor show at the company’s plant in Halewood, Liverpool, before continuing on to Cologne, West Germany.

But that British basis remained at the heart of the car throughout its lifespan – almost every UK dealer had one parked on their forecourt, even before sales kicked off, and it remained in circulation here for two years longer than anywhere else in the world. In short, Brits had found their motoring symbol of success.

Ford meets the Mustang

The big test came with America, where victory wasn’t a given. That was due to the release of the American Mustang five years earlier in 1964. With the Mustang, Ford and fashion suddenly went hand in hand. Both were looking at new ways to frame self-image. Don Draper-style suits, Ivy League styles – whatever the American man preferred, if he was sat in a Mustang, he felt it.

But this was the Sixties, and by the end of the decade the British mod movement had travelled across the Atlantic. So with the release of the “sexy” (official slogan, FYI) European Capri, US drivers were eager to embark on its magical mystery tour, resulting in strong American sales for several years from 1970.

This success was certainly aided by the man behind it – automotive designer Phillip T Clark – who had also been heavily involved with the Mustang. With his input, American applause for European Ford’s 1969 revelation was imminent.

Clark’s contribution is likely the reason Ford dubbed the Capri as an answer to the Mustang. But in fact it was underpinned with elements of the Mk2 Cortina: specifically, the same floor pan and MacPherson strut-front suspension.

This was further developed by 1974, when the Capri Mk2 was introduced and became immensely popular until 1978. Then the Mk3 came along, until 1986. Granted, each new model brought further levels of motor modernisation, but the fashionable codes of the original Capri never wavered.

And so we can safely slot the stylish, sports-led vehicle into an exclusive group of classic cars. What’s not to love about it? With its long, slender bonnet and nipped rear tail, it would have been pretty difficult not to purchase one back in the Seventies. Especially if you were looking for a family-size fastback.

Vintage Capri

For classic car lovers, it’s still possible to buy one – expect to pay upwards of £15,000 for a well conditioned model.

So if you’re a sucker for the pleasures of past times, the Capri is a cool choice. Just make sure you do your research before buying – as with any old-school purchase, you want it to still be relatively healthy. Find one that still boasts a solid engine and you’ve hit the jackpot.

Seen on the street today, it would still steal as many glances as it did in the summer of ‘69. So here's to 50 years of the Ford Capri: a solid piece of motor magic for those who raced through life with athletic style.